The present invention relates to a flotation apparatus and especially to a flotation apparatus utilizing existing boat fenders to form a utility raft or life raft.
In the past, it has been common to use a variety of boat fenders which are typically resilient cylinders made of an inflatable or other polymer material, such as a foamed plastic, which has flexible cords attached therethrough and extending therefrom for attaching to the boat. The boat fenders can be tied to cleat sand dropped over the side of a boat when the boat is being pulled up to a pier or dock to prevent damage to the boat and also to protect the boat when tied up or moored around other boats or in boat houses or adjacent piers or docks.
The present invention is adapted to provide a compact kit which can take the boat fenders and rapidly make a life raft or flotation raft utilizing the existing fenders on the boat as components and which can be compactly stored and rapidly assembled as needed. The kit has flotation so that it can be assembled in the water.
Prior U.S. patents for life rafts and flotation devices include the Greene U.S. Pat. No. 1,089,338 for a life raft, which uses a pair of pontoons bolted together and connected therebetween to form a life raft and which includes its own boat fender. The Iwanitz U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,849, shows a boat safety attachment in which a boat flotation attachment is attached around the edge of the boat similar to a boat fender. The Rosendahl U.S. Pat. No. 412,417, shows a life saving apparatus having a pair of flotation logs connected together and having looped ropes attached thereto for holding onto. The Baswitz U.S. Pat. No. 772,690, shows a life buoy having a folding pair of semi-circular tubes having a net attached therearound and also having handles for holding onto. The Hessel U.S. Pat. No. 829,472, shows a life saving device having flotation cells connected in a square and a net extending under the open center portion and also having hand grips and cork floats along the side. The Trevisan U.S. Pat. No. 1,029,729, shows a life saving device having a singular large pontoon with attached life buoys extending therefrom. The Tabulo U.S. Pat. No. 1,107,632, is a life saving appliance for use at sea having a pair of pontoons movably attached to each other and having a support surface therebetween. The Walters U.S. Pat. No. 2,050,138, is for a life saving apparatus having various configurations but which uses a buoy having a hollow flotation body with a plurality of ropes attached therearound.
The present invention is adapted to provide a compact flotation unit for storage on a boat which can be rapidly unrolled and attached to existing boat fenders to provide a convenient utility raft or life raft and which can be quickly disassembled and compactly restored when not in use.